Crimson Rose: The Crooked Man and the Crooked Cat

Chapter 26: Hide and Seek with Humpty Dumpty

Annette couldn't believe it. Here she was, running for her life in the forest, trying to escape a kid-devouring monster. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her heart pounding in her chest.

She heard some heavy footsteps behind her, accompanied by the heavy snaps of twigs and rough rustles.

She knew Humpty Dumpty was closing towards her. The perturbing sounds seemed to get closer and closer. Her adrenaline started to kick in.

She reached the edge of the forest when suddenly she stopped. In front of her was a steep cliff. Below her, the waves of the Vastica Sea pounded against the sharp rocks. "Oh, no! I'm trapped!" she thought.

She looked back and saw Humpty Dumpty heading towards her. "I gotta get away from him!" She looked right and left, and noticed a chapel on a big island with a wooden bridge connecting to the left side of the cliff.

She started to run left towards the bridge. Humpty Dumpty saw her turn left and started pursuing her. He panted heavily as he ran, but he was relentless and determined to have the girl as a meal.

Annette reached the bridge and ran across. She looked back and saw Humpty Dumpty following her.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack of wood. They both looked down and saw a large crack on the old wooden planks. Every time Humpty Dumpty tried to move towards her, the wood creaked underneath his weight.

Annette saw this as a chance to escape. She unsheathed the Rose Sword and thrust it upon the wood. The wooden plank split and the bridge wobbled violently.

Humpty Dumpty grabbed the rope railing fearfully. "Stop! Are you crazy?! We'll fall!" he said fearfully. "You dare try to eat me, I'll make you fall!" Annette angrily said. She thrust the Rose Sword into the wooden planks again and tried to pry them out. The bridge wobbled again.

"I said, stop!" Humpty Dumpty roared in rage. He reached out towards Annette and tried to grab her, but Annette dodged his grip and ran towards the chapel.

Humpty Dumpty lumbered towards her. "You little brat! I'll get you!" he bellowed. Annette quickly opened the chapel doors and quickly closed them behind her.

Humpty Dumpty tried to push the doors open, but Annette quickly moved a chair underneath the door handles. As Humpty Dumpty tried to push, Annette started barricading the doors with anything she can find.

"You can't escape me, little brat! I will knock down these doors and I will devour you!" Humpty Dumpty bellowed.

With one last heave, he knocked down the chapel doors. He looked around, but Annette has disappeared. "I know you're hiding somewhere, girlie." he said, his voice echoing through the halls. He walked around the chapel, searching for her.

Annette can hear his footsteps echo through the corridors. As he moved from one place, she moved to another. "Come out, come out wherever you are, girlie." said Humpty Dumpty in a taunting, singsong voice.

Annette tried to move through a corridor when she suddenly saw Humpty Dumpty's shadow on the wall. She quickly hid underneath a trunk and quietly closed the lid. Humpty Dumpty walked through the corridor.

He looked around and saw the trunk across the corridor. He narrowed his eyes. He walked towards the trunk. Inside, Annette held her breath. She can hear his footsteps approach the trunk she was hiding in.

Her heart was beating so fast she was afraid it might burst. A single warm tear slid down her cheek. She was getting really scared. "Oh, snap! He found me! I'm toast for sure!" she thought fearfully.

Humpty Dumpty inspected the trunk. He was just about to open the lid when he suddenly heard a noise coming from the far end of the corridor.

He smiled. "I found you!" he said triumphantly and started to walk towards the end of the corridor, leaving behind the trunk. When she heard Humpty Dumpty leave, Annette sighed a breath of relief. "Thank goodness! I thought for sure I was a goner!" she thought.

She opened the lid of the trunk and quickly but quietly moved towards the other room across the corridor. She looked back to make sure she wasn't being followed. But just as she was about to head to the stairway, her sword accidentally bumped against an iron table, making a loud clang.

Annette immediately grabbed the sides of the iron table, muting the sound. Annette looked left and right for any sign of danger. She sighed in relief. She had to keep quiet as possible. If Humpty Dumpty finds her, she's dead meat.

She walked behind Humpty Dumpy at a fair distance. Then, she noticed an empty wine bottle. An idea formed in her mind. She took the bottle and carefully crept up behind Humpty Dumpty.

She held the bottle above his head and hit his noggin hard. Humpty Dumpty collapsed to the floor with a big thud.

She walked over Humpty Dumpty's unconscious body and headed towards the stairs that leads to the bell tower. She was about to walk up the stairway when she noticed an ominous shadow fall on her. She turned around and gasped.

Humpty Dumpty was right behind her! And he looks very angry. "There you are, little brat!" he said. Annette shrieked as she saw him opened his mouth wide, revealing rows of shark-like teeth.

He lunged at her, but Annette dodged his attack. "Ahh!" he cried as he fell on the steps with a big thud. Annette didn't waste a second. She raced up the stairs towards the bell tower.

Humpty Dumpty stood up and chased after her, bellowing with rage. Once she reached the top of the bell tower, she slammed down the trapdoor and bolted it. When Humpty Dumpty reached the trapdoor, he tried to push it open.

"I've got you now, you little brat! There's no escape!" he bellowed as he continued to push the trapdoor. Finally, he pushed the trapdoor open. He saw Annette facing him, an intense look on her face and her Rose Sword in her hand.

When Humpty Dumpty tried to get close to her, she swung her Rose Sword back and forth. "Don't you dare come near!" she warned.

Humpty Dumpty just laughed. He thought it was amusing that pathetic young girl like she would try to defend herself from him. Unfazed by her warning, Humpty Dumpty lunged at her.

In response, Annette swung the Rose Sword at him, scratching his bandaged face. He howled with fury, and then he swung his big hand at Annette, knocking her to the floor. The Rose Sword slid across the floor.

Annette tried to grab the Rose Sword, but then Humpty Dumpty stepped on her hand. Annette cried in pain. She looked up and saw him lowering his face towards hers. "And now, you will suffer my wrath!" he said.

Annette tried to pull away, but it was useless. There's no escape this time. She was trapped. "Noir, please hurry!" she thought desperately.

Humpty Dumpty opened his mouth wide and leaned towards Annette. She squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel the warmth of his breath (Not to mention the stink, too).

He was about to swallow her whole when suddenly there was a loud screech. Humpty Dumpty pulled away from Annette and was trying to reach for something attacking his head. Annette couldn't believe what she saw! It was Noir in his cat form! He came to her rescue!

Noir bit and scratched as Humpty Dumpty backed away towards an open window. But then he grabbed the window sides. "Ha! Not this time!" he said proudly. But then he accidentally let go and he fell though the window, screaming as he fell down to the ground below.